but Jake promptly swept her off her feet and sat her down again.
"You cooked, I'll clean up. It'll be good practice for the future. I'm one of those modern guys who thinks a husband should help out," he said with a perfectly straight face.
"Uh huh," she nodded. "Tell me another one."
"I'm wounded that you don't believe me," he teased her, and they continued like that until he was done straightening the kitchen. When he was finished, he came over to her and said seriously, "Do you trust me, sweetheart?"
"Of course I do!" she was amazed he would ask her that.
"Good. We're going to go into your bedroom and pack a few things for you to bring over to my place for the night. I promise my motives are gold, but I really do need to get out of here, Kari. Each day I'm here only increases the odds of your neighbor spotting me, and it would put your life in danger. I want to take you home with me where I know you'll be safe while I deal with Darles."
"Just what is it you think the man has done?" she asked curiously. When Jacob looked at her as if deciding whether or not he should tell her, she added, "I don't like to be treated like a child without a mind, or even worse, like a delicate female who can't handle the truth. Jacob, if we are going to make this work between us, it is going to mean sharing things with me... I won't wilt, I promise. I'm a lot tougher than I look."
Jake grinned and nodded. "We'll get you packed while we talk. Come on." As they headed for the bedroom, the doorbell rang again. "Go on into your room, sweetheart."
"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped, and before Jacob could stop her, she reached the door and opened it without asking who was on the other side. "Yes?" she didn't recognize the man who quickly stepped inside her door.
"I live next door," Quincy Darles turned on the charm. "I've been remiss in introducing myself, and thought to remedy that." He was all smiles, until he saw Jacob standing there. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly and the lines around his mouth tightened, but his smile never faltered as his eyes darted from Jake to Kari and back again. "Well, friend, I wondered where you disappeared to," he said with easy charm. His cold gray eyes looked over at Kari once again and Jacob felt a chill clear to his soul. "Now I understand perfectly."
"Kari said she hadn't met any of her neighbors yet," Jake's voice was smooth as silk. "I wondered at that..."
Kari didn't know what the heck was transpiring between the two men, but Jake didn't look or sound like himself. He looked... dangerous and like the sort of man she'd steer clear of under normal circumstances. Something was going on, and she decided to keep quiet and let the two men settle it.
"Darlin', you go on in the bedroom and wait for me," Jacob ordered, his implied meaning very clear... and insulting. The look he flashed her warned her to obey him instantly, and the pat to her bottom made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She found her legs carrying her into the other room. Once the door was closed, Jake looked at Quincy Darles and said in a low voice, "This is my territory, Darles. If you expect to do business, then back off."
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, James, but you don't tell me what to do... I tell you!" the man fairly hissed the words he was so angry.
"Tell that to someone who gives a fuck what you think," Jake returned in a cold voice. For two cents he'd like to rearrange the man piece by piece and then hang him out to dry in a dark corner of prison for the rest of his natural life, which wouldn't be long once word got out among the prison population.
"You did this on purpose, James. Right under my nose."
Jake gave him a cocky grin. "Still sore about the other night, Darles? I found another buyer who was willing to pay a fair price."
"You're a dead man, James."
"Like I was the other night when you arranged a meeting?" Jake scoffed. "I'm on to you, Darles. I know what you think, where you are, and what you
"You cooked, I'll clean up. It'll be good practice for the future. I'm one of those modern guys who thinks a husband should help out," he said with a perfectly straight face.
"Uh huh," she nodded. "Tell me another one."
"I'm wounded that you don't believe me," he teased her, and they continued like that until he was done straightening the kitchen. When he was finished, he came over to her and said seriously, "Do you trust me, sweetheart?"
"Of course I do!" she was amazed he would ask her that.
"Good. We're going to go into your bedroom and pack a few things for you to bring over to my place for the night. I promise my motives are gold, but I really do need to get out of here, Kari. Each day I'm here only increases the odds of your neighbor spotting me, and it would put your life in danger. I want to take you home with me where I know you'll be safe while I deal with Darles."
"Just what is it you think the man has done?" she asked curiously. When Jacob looked at her as if deciding whether or not he should tell her, she added, "I don't like to be treated like a child without a mind, or even worse, like a delicate female who can't handle the truth. Jacob, if we are going to make this work between us, it is going to mean sharing things with me... I won't wilt, I promise. I'm a lot tougher than I look."
Jake grinned and nodded. "We'll get you packed while we talk. Come on." As they headed for the bedroom, the doorbell rang again. "Go on into your room, sweetheart."
"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped, and before Jacob could stop her, she reached the door and opened it without asking who was on the other side. "Yes?" she didn't recognize the man who quickly stepped inside her door.
"I live next door," Quincy Darles turned on the charm. "I've been remiss in introducing myself, and thought to remedy that." He was all smiles, until he saw Jacob standing there. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly and the lines around his mouth tightened, but his smile never faltered as his eyes darted from Jake to Kari and back again. "Well, friend, I wondered where you disappeared to," he said with easy charm. His cold gray eyes looked over at Kari once again and Jacob felt a chill clear to his soul. "Now I understand perfectly."
"Kari said she hadn't met any of her neighbors yet," Jake's voice was smooth as silk. "I wondered at that..."
Kari didn't know what the heck was transpiring between the two men, but Jake didn't look or sound like himself. He looked... dangerous and like the sort of man she'd steer clear of under normal circumstances. Something was going on, and she decided to keep quiet and let the two men settle it.
"Darlin', you go on in the bedroom and wait for me," Jacob ordered, his implied meaning very clear... and insulting. The look he flashed her warned her to obey him instantly, and the pat to her bottom made her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She found her legs carrying her into the other room. Once the door was closed, Jake looked at Quincy Darles and said in a low voice, "This is my territory, Darles. If you expect to do business, then back off."
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, James, but you don't tell me what to do... I tell you!" the man fairly hissed the words he was so angry.
"Tell that to someone who gives a fuck what you think," Jake returned in a cold voice. For two cents he'd like to rearrange the man piece by piece and then hang him out to dry in a dark corner of prison for the rest of his natural life, which wouldn't be long once word got out among the prison population.
"You did this on purpose, James. Right under my nose."
Jake gave him a cocky grin. "Still sore about the other night, Darles? I found another buyer who was willing to pay a fair price."
"You're a dead man, James."
"Like I was the other night when you arranged a meeting?" Jake scoffed. "I'm on to you, Darles. I know what you think, where you are, and what you
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